Automatic car-coupling.



W. A. PALMER.

AUTOMATIC GAR GOUPLING.'

IPLIOATIQN FILED FEB. ZB.1907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

y ilnmurlnnw m1371365. 'PATEK-TBDv JAN.' 21,1908;

' I AUTOMATlGjGAR- ooPLIN-G..

` W. A; PALMER.-

AVPPLIGATION FILED 'Hsin'. 28. 1907'.

IIII MMIII WWI out departing from the spirit or WILLAM ASBURY PALMER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI;v

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

Nantrgzeea.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 28. 1907. Serial No. 359.807.

L i all whom it may concern:

Be it known that i, WILLIAM Asunv PALMER, a citizen of the United States, residin r ini-rented a new and useful Automatic Carr Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification. v

The invention relates to improvements inl automatic car couplings.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of automatic car couplings, more especially that shown and described in Patent, No. 804,031, granted to me Nov. 7, 1905, and to provide a simple, strong and durable construction capable of coupling automatically, and adapted to be readily set for automatic uncoupling and to be-conveniently released from such position', when it is desired to relock the knuckle, thereby obviating the necessity of an engineer pulling his train out and running back to couple the cars.

A further object of the invention is to provide simple and efficient means for positively opening the knuckle preparatory to automatic coupling, and to enable the knuckle to be held in its open position sufficiently to prevent it from being closed or partially closed, by jarring infT reopening in order to couple.

lith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and nevel combination of parts hereinafter' fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope ot the claims, may be resorted to withsacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

in the .drawingst-Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view of a car coupling, constructed in accordance with this invention, lthe knuckle being locked. Fig. 2 is a similar view, the parts being set for auto matic uncoupling. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sec tional view, the parts being arranged for holding the knuckle in its open position.

Fig. -i is a horizontal sectional view, the knuckle being closed and locked. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail perspective view, partlyin section showing a l portion of the draw head. Figs. 6, 7 and 8 are detail views ofthe knuckle. Fig. 9 isa detail perspective view at St, Louis and State of Missouri, have or jolting, and vnecessitat-` of the Janney type,

ception of a knuckle pin of the locking block and the knuckle opening lever. Fig. 1() is a detail perspective view of" the knuckle opening lever.

Like numerals oi reference designate cor-A .responding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 designates a draw head or coupler head provided atoneside with the usual upper and lower eyes 2 for the rev 3, which pivots a knuckle 4 to the draw head or coupler head 1 in the usual manner. rl.`he knuckle pin is provided at its upper end with a head, andit is held against accidental upward movement by a suitable key 5, which pierces thelowerv end of the knuckle pin and which is locatedf beneath the draw head. The outer or-'engaging portion of the knuckle is provided with the usual slot or bifurcation and perforations for enabling it to be coupled, by a link with other forms of car couplings, when necessary.

The knuckle is held in its closed position by a locking block 6, arranged to engage the inwardly or rearwardly extending arm 7 of the knuckle, as clearly illustrated in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. The arm 7 of the knuckle is provided at one side with a straight edge or face 8 for engagement with .the locking block 6, and it has a recess 9 at the opposite side to receive a projecting stoplug 10- ot' the draw head, whereby the armv 'of the knuckle is in'terlocked' with the draw` head. The lug 1l), which extends Jfrom one of the side walls of the draw head, forms a4 stop for prevent/'ng the knuckle from being forced inward. This will, in a great meas`` ure, prevent the knuckle pin when the cars are coupled. Also by inter* locking the arin ofthe knuckle witlntheff draw head, the knuckle is preventedtromf pulling out, should the knuckle pin breakv from any cause. The locking straight side block is provided ,Wahl a straight face or edge 8 of the arm` of the, knuckle, vwhen the latter is closed and.

Patented Jan.- 21, 19081;?

face 11 to lit against :theffrom breaking, l

., cause the pivots or trunnions to positively clos-ies, 4its arm is adapted to engage'the front face of the locking block, which is liftedyby the said arm, and when the latter has passed of the drawings, the7 or edge 8, and holds securely locked in its ocking'block yhas a rearwardly or .in

position. The

' Wardly extending shanklll, provided at its slide in ends with lls'iterally extending pivots or trunnions 15 and 15, which are arranged to guide-ways 16, located at opposite sides of t e opening of the shank or draw' bar ..17 of the draw head. The guide-ways,

arco en at their which extend longitudinally of the draw bar,

ont or outer ends, and are close at their inner or rear ends, being preferablyf formed by substantially L'-shaped 'i'ibs, as clearly illustrated in F ig; 5' ofjthe' drawin The longitudinally disposed portions o the-ribs are ovided with inclined lcwer ed es' 1 6?, 'but t ese guide-ways, which le'ceive t e pivots or trunnions 15 of the lockf ing block-6', may be constructedin any other v manner that will permit the locking block to pbe moved backwardly and forwardly, and to swing upwardly and downwardly. The upper and lower walls of the guide-ways 16 slide backwardly and forwardly, and. limit the upward. .movement ofthe same. pivots or trunnionsare also' adapted to-rotate inthe guide-ways to permit the swing-` 111gl movement'of the locking block. The

lockin block Ais provided: with rearwardly enten ing flanges 18, which are perforated for the reception of a pinl 19, which also passes lthrough va lifting bar or link 20,l and the latterA extends through a slot oropening 2'1 of .the top of the draw head. The lifting -bar or link, which is provided Witha liange I 22 for covering the slot 21, has a perforation vfor. enabling the operation of uncoupling to44 at its upper end for permitting it to 'be connected with any suitable lifting mechanism,

be performedfrom the top and sides of or from the platform of a coach.

The car coupling isdesigned for use on'all kinds of railroad cars, and any suitable operr ating mechanism may be em loyed. The locking block is provided at its ack withl an upper inclined face 23, adapted to engage a rounded edge 24 of the upper portion of the draw head,'when the locking block is raised,'

wherebythe locking block w1ll be thrown forward or outward, to carry a projection or toe vto 25 into engagement with a groove or recess 26 ofthe arm of the knuckle. v The groove 26 which is arrangedat the upper face of the ofthe knuckle, extends transversely of tllesarne, and is located near the end of the The long u per arm of t lrange at an inclination, and extends baclflink is provide straight face 8 .of the arm 7, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawin s. The pro` jection or toe is substantially hook-shaped, andis located adjacent tothe engagin face 11 ofthe locking block, and when the atter is drawn upward, the projection or toe is car- .riedfo'rward, and is adapted to dro'pinto engagem'ent with the said roove 26. As vthe projection or toe depends tion of the locking block, the latter-is sup-V ported above the arm of the knuckle to per' mit the knuckle to open freely. This'conw struction obviates the danger and inconvenience of holding the locking block in 'an elevated position until two cars are actually separated.

cent toits lower end with an angular bend 27 forminga rojecting convex portion and providing va s ort lower -arm or portion .and a long up `er arm or portion, and when -the locking lock is set for automatic uncoupling,

as illustrated in Fi V2 of the drawings, the

e lifting bar lor link is arwardly and upwardly and engages the top of the'- draw head at'the rear or inner end wall thereof. The u per end of the lifting bar or dpwith aprojecting horn 28, adapted to be en agediby the finger or hand for tilting or-oscil ating the liftingbar or link, wherebyfthe toeor proj ecting' portion is carried out of engagement-with the groove or ree' eloW the body porcess 26, and the locking block ,is dropped from position' for automatic uncou lee ed position, illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawin s. The upper end of the lifting vbar or link 1s tilted forwardly toeffect the isenling to the gragement of the toe or projecting portion omthe arm of the knuckle.A This construction obviates the necessity-of' an engineer pulling his train out and running it in again, 1n order to recouple cars setk for automatic coupling.` The projecting horn is located in advance of the eye, to which any ksuitable operating mechanism may be connected.

The recess 9 'of .the arm oftheknuckle forms a projecting transverselydisposed bill or portion 29, which is substantially concen tric with the knuckle pin, and which is arranged to'engage the stop lug 10 atl the inner or rear side thereof. The adj acent wall of the draw. head is provided With annif-set or projecting portion 30 to receive the Aend of the bill or transversely disposed curved portion 29 of the arm of the knuckle, when the latter is closed..l

. The transversely vdis-posed portion 29 of the arm of the knuckle is provided with a recess 31, extending longitudinally of the. transversely disposed portion 29 ofthe arm of the' knuckle, and having a curved edge'arranged toire/engaged by a nose or projecting port1on 32 of a lever 33.. Therecess 31 forms-canin- I c l c c 80. The lifting barfor link 20 is provided adjaprojecting portion 32 of the lever 33is thrown orwardly and upwardly, causes the knuckle l to positively open..

'The knuckle opening lever 33, which is pro- Vvided at its inner or rear end with an eye 34- t-o receive the pivot or trunnion ot the locking block, has a flange 35, extending longitudinally ofthe up er edge ot the body por- 11o tion of the lever, W ich is arranged in substantially a horizontal position, when the knuckle is locked, as illustrated in Fig. l of i the drawings. The locking block is irovided at one' side of the shank le with a aterally extending supporting ledge or lange 36, which'receives the longitudinal flange 85 of the knuckle o ening lever 33, whereby when the locking b ock is swung upward to carry closed by jarring'or jo the nose or projecting portion 32 ot the knuckle opening lever into engagement with. the curved extension of the arm of the knuckle, the said lever 33 will be maintained rigid with the locking block, and will positivel operate to open the knuckle, without Hkic ing the same from its closed to its open position. The supporting llange or ledge 36 is enlarged, and extended at its front end to form the projecting toe 25, which is substantially hook-shaped, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 9 ot the drawings.

After the knuckle is opened, the locking block is dropped to carry the upper projecting portion o its front face into engagement with the upper face of the curved extension of the arm, whereby the knuckle will be y maintained in itssopen position, and will be closed or partially ting, thereby obviating the necessity of reopening theknuckle preparatory to lautomatic coupling. 'lhe draw head is provided at its bottom with a longitudinal guide-way 3S, which receives the nose or pro`ecting portion 32 olf the knuckle opening lever, and the latter maintains an approximately horizontal position, when the locking block swings downwardly, simultaneously with its inward or backward movement.l By this construction, the knuckle opening lever and the locking block have a limited relative movement, the pivoted lever being` substituted for the rigid depending foot of the said patent. The pivotal movement of the lever operates to prevent the knuckle opening mechanism from being injured, when the knuckle is suddenly closed, incident to automatic coupling. Also in event ofinjury to the knuckle opening lever, the latter may be readily detached and relaced by anew part, without discarding the lhcking block.

The bottom of the draw head is provided with suitable openings 3Q to permit the escape of dust or other accumulation, and the backward and forward movements of the prevented l'rorn bein locking block will operate to discharge much ol the dust through the said openingsBQ..

Having thus fully described my invention,

what l-claim as new and desire to secureby .Letters Patent, iszl. Thecombination with a. draw head provided with longitudinal ways having top and `bottom walls, and knuckle, oliI lockingl block having pivots or trunnions slidable in the ways to permit the locking block to slide backward and forward and to swing upward and downward, and a pivoted knuckle opening lever carried by the locking block and arranged to engage the knuckle l'or opening the same.

2. The combination with a draw head provided with longitudinal ways having top and bottom walls, ot a pivoted knuckle provided at its arm with an extension having an arcuate recess, said recess being provided with an inclined topwall, a locking block having pivots or trunnions slidable in the said ways to permit the locking block to be moved backward and to swing upward and downward, and a knuckle opening lever pivotally mounted on and carried by. the locking block and projecting from the same to engage the recess of the knuckle.

The combination with a draw head, and a ivoted knuckle, ot' a locking bloc-k movab e longitudinally of the draw head, and a knuckle opening lever carried by and extending longitudinally ol the locking block and pivoted to the same at its rear portion, said locking block and lever having cooperating means for simporting the latter rigid with the former wir "e the same is in engagement with the knuclc` 4f The combination with a draw head, and a pivoted knuckle, ol' a locking block provided with a laterally projecting flange, and a pivoted knuckle opening lever mounted on the locking block and having a. flange arranged to rest upon that of the locking block.

5. T he combination with a draw head provided with ways, and a pivoted knuckle, of a locking block having pivots or trunnions slidable in the ways, and a knuckle opening lever pivoted to the locking block by one of the said pivots or trunnions and having means for engaging the knuckle to open the same.

6. The combination with a draw head, and

n n l 7. rlhe'combmation with a draw head, and

a pivoted knuckle, of a locking block having In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as a supporting ledge terminating at its front or Inv-own, I have hereto aixed my Signature 10 i outer portion in a hooll-shaped projection invthe presence of two Witnesses.

o'r engaginv the knuc le., and a knuckle v openingleveti' ivotally mounted on the lock- WILLIAM .ASBURY PALMER' ing block and avng a projecting portion or Witnesses: nose located below the projection of the lock- A. C. HEINTZ,

` ingblock and arranged to engage the knuckle. HARRY FRASER. 

